Supporting Student Literacy for the Transition to College: Working with Underrepresented Students in Pre-College Outreach Programs

Focusing on the needs and experiences of underrepresented students in the US, this text explores how pre-college outreach programs can effectively support the development of students’ writing skills in preparation for the transition from high school to college. Synthesizing data from a longitudinal study focusing on multilingual, low-income, and first-generation students, this volume provides in-depth exploration of the strategies and resources used in a pre-college literacy program in the US. Grounded in an expansive, qualitative study, chapters reveal how outreach practices can encourage student-led research, writing, confidence, and collaboration. More broadly, programs are shown to help tackle issues of inequality, increase college readiness, and reduce difficulties with writing which can restrict minority students’ access to higher education and their longer-term college attainment. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in English and literacy studies, multicultural education, and pre-college writing instruction. Those interested in bilingualism, translingualism, writing studies, English as a second language (ESL), and applied linguistics will also benefit from the volume.